Lie Nielsen A2 issue?

[Patrick Carpenter]

Has anyone else been a little underwhelmed by A2 plane blades from LN? I have a 60 1/2 block plane that is just awesome in almost every aspect but one. It gets pretty sharp, but does not seem to hold up well at all. Mostly when paring end grain it seems like it never takes more than 5-10 cuts before the edge starts giving up. Nothing super serious, but there's visible deformation on the cutting edge and it'll start leaving little micro-lines behind.
I think Hock (and maybe Pinnacle) make replacements that will fit this plane. Any opinions on either of these two, or any other makers? Am I crazy or do I remember seeing laminated replacement block plane blades by a Japanese maker. Maybe Tsunesaburo...?

[Jim R Edwards]

I have had problems with Lee Valley blade edges crumbling but never Lie Nielsen. The A2 blades are my favorite.

[David Dalzell]

I don't know much about A2 v O1, but sometimes irons need to be sharpened several times to grind away the over brittle edges on new steel. The thin leading edge may cause problems on a new blade. How often have yoy sharpened it since you acquired it?

[Stanley Covington]

I have 15 or so LN planes and other edged tools, all A2 steel. I think it is a good steel, as far as it goes. It is intended to provide ease of manufacturing and consistent quality for high-end mass-produced tools. It is not intended to give the best cutting edge possible.

David Weaver will disagree with me, but it dulls quickly, in my experience. A2 will not get as sharp, or hold a sharp edge as long as a well-made vintage blade, or a good quality Japanese plane blade, or even a Hock blade. But sharpness is not everything.

The saving grace with A2 steel is that, after it dulls to a certain point, it will keep on cutting for a long time, not clean glossy cuts, but good enough to waste material. And, if the blade strikes grit, the edge does not chip as deeply as plain high-carbon steel blades do.

Satisfaction comes from holding easily-obtained expectations.:p

So I guess my conclusion is that it is an OK, but not great, tool steel.

Tsunesaburo makes a Stanley plane replacement blade that is laminated steel. It is thin. It is made from rikizai (pre-laminated steel originally developed for making kitchen knives) and not hand-forged, but it is nonetheless good steel (reasonable expectations, again), and reasonably priced. Mine cuts better than the stock LN blade. I suppose it might work in an LN plane, but I have never tried it.

Stan

[ian maybury]

There's fairly consistent reports about on the web that A2 needs a slightly higher bevel angle than carbon steel/O1 to avoid edge chipping in some situations. e.g. this description of the issue and comparison of the relative strengths and weaknesses of both by Ron Hock came up in a search i made recently: http://www.hocktools.com/A2.htm It's no doubt not by accident that e.g. Lee Valley offer their blades in both A2 and O1 (and now their new steel too) - if one or other steel covered all the bases in everybody's view they likely wouldn't feel the need to do so..

[george wilson]

All tool steels (save the PM metals,possibly. They are LEFT OUT of my comments,as I haven't enough experience with them yet.),are a balancing act between durability and keen ness. NOTHING,NOTHING,NOTHING,will get as sharp as plain carbon steel,like W1. 1095 is in this W1 class of steel. Start adding a little alloy,and you have 01,oil hardening steel. It is a bit more durable on the cutting edge than W1,but it just WILL NOT get quite as sharp. It is a more forgiving steel when hardening. It warps and cracks a lot less than W1,which has to be shocked severely by quenching in water.

Add some chrome,and you have A2,which is great stuff. It hardly changes dimension at all when AIR cooling. I make all of our punch and die sets out of it(I'd use HSS,but don't have an inert gas furnace). A2 will not get as sharp as 01. It is further down the line. If hardened and tempered correctly,it will hold an edge longer than 01. It needs a steeper cutting angle on the edge. Add more chrome,12%,and a few other alloying metals,and you have D2,a metal designed for shearing other metals. It,once again,will not hold an edge as sharp as A2. I have a pocket knife made from it,which has proved a disappointment. It will very quickly lose a shaving sharp edge,BUT,seems to stay just below the completely sharp level forever. D2 would make great punches and dies,except it is a bit too brittle to suit me. I don't want corners breaking off a die when my wife doesn't get the die and punch set in perfect alignment. Some dies are a lot of work to make,and the holes they mate to have to be perfectly fitted,so they'll shear paper clean as a whistle.

These are the 4 steels I have used the most. They have to be used for their appropriate uses. APPROPRIATE USES are the key words here. I can't stress that enough. And,their cutting geometry has to be adjusted to suit their properties.

When I have to plane the most un planeable material(like skiving the fuzzy suede off of chrome tanned ray skin(a nearly impossible task with a plane!!),ONLY a W1 blade will do. When planing an obnoxious wood that is hard on blades,A2 is a better choice.

I took pity on the coopers in the museum,always planing hard white oak out in the freezing or burning hot weather. I secretly made them a few hand forged A2 blades for their jointers. They were very grateful. And,the tourists would never be able to tell!!

Their blades had to plane huge numbers of linear feet of white oak,making curved staves out of straight white oak blanks.

[lowell holmes]

I keep a diamond hone and strop on the bench for touch up when needed.

It keeps me from fretting about such things.:)

I learned that from Homestead Heritage back in '02.

[Chris Griggs]

Raise the angle a few degrees. If you still have issues grind 1/16" of the tip of the blade.

Also, when the edge fails quickly like its been doing check to see if its rolling or chipping. If its just chipping a bit its probably just a matter of using a higher angle or grinding a bit off to get past the bit of steel at the tip that might be a little weak. If the edge is rolling (e.g. if there is a burr on the back of the blade after a few strokes) the blade may be too soft.

Even from companies like LN and LV sometimes the steel at the tip of the blade is bit decarbonized and need to behoned/ground past. And every once in a while something gets past the goalie. I don't have a lot LN tools, but in general I have found their A2 top quality.

[David Weaver]

quite some time ago now, I sharpened a couple of A2 irons using charlesworth's method with a shapton 15k as the finish stone, and lie nielsen's iron lasted the longest on a hard maple board. Hard maple is a nice planing wood and planes smoothly. I took 2 thousandth shavings the entire time and adjusted the plane every 25 or 50 strokes if the shavings weren't proper thickness, and waxed the sole so I could get a good feel for how much resistance was due to sharpness and how much was due to the sole of the plane.

Side comment, if you think your smoother is getting dull and the finish is still decent, wax the sole. Often, the planes not dull, just the user.

Anyway, I got 1700 feet out of the lie nielsen iron at the time.

Everything depends on circumstances, but when you use charlesworth's sharpening method, you are setting up an ideal bevel for an A2 iron such that it wears and doesn't chip.

In terms of initial sharpness, if you have a medium that will cut the carbides on A2 and you spend enough time on it, it will get as sharp as anything else. Same for any of the other steels. Submicron diamonds come to mind.

[Shawn Pixley]

I don't think I have experienced that issue. I find that it stays as sharp longer as anything else out there save the PM V11.

I flat bevel at 25 degrees (I don't have anything hollow ground) with a 2 degree secondary bevel for the block plane. I get a lot more that 5-10 cuts before it has lost the first edge on my adjustable mouth low angle block plane. I'll strop or get out the 12,000 grit waterstone to touch-up the edge again. The LN irons are equivelent or better than most of my stock (Stanley) or replacement irons (Hock or IBC). I've experienced some chipping in any of the above when working with very hard woods (Ebony, Zirricote, Cocobolo, etc..). I have also chipped the PM V11 blades from my chisels on these. No big deal, that's what the stones are for.

[george wilson]

David,have you tried shaving with an A2 blade? Probably not,since they don"t make razors out of A2. And for a good reason. Am I wrong? I'm not a straight razor shaver myself. Maybe I'm wrong?

[David Barnett]

...and forgive this diversion from the OP.



When I have to plane the most un planeable material(like skiving the fuzzy suede off of chrome tanned ray skin(a nearly impossible task with a plane!!),ONLY a W1 blade will do. When planing an obnoxious wood that is hard on blades,A2 is a better choice.

I have a 1095 English parer I've used for skiving shagreen/galuchat since my days as a bookbinder (nearly four decades ago). Where I used to find thinner and less challenging baby hides of good quality, nowadays most chrome-tanned hides are larger and as thick, tough and as hard on cutting edges as anything I've ever worked.

I've used just about everything to thin and pare the body of ray leather; spokeshaves, rasps, bench planes, razor and Rali planes, flexshafts and so on, but for turned edges, I'll stick with my extremely sharp low-beveled English parer off a well-worn hard-calendered horse butt strop.

The top-quality John Fong hides sold for cordwaining took some real work to thin for furniture, boxes, lamps, clocks, cabinet pulls and small leather items such as jewelry and watchbands, but the effort was worth it. I used to sand the more fine-grained skins but for larger skins with bolder placoid scales I now prefer files.

Interesting subject; galuchat and woodworking.

[Phil Gaudio]

As others have stated, bevel/micro bevel angles are important with the A2 iron. Using 3M microfinishing film to sharpen, I've been very happy with the performance of LN A2 irons: picture shows a 1 thou shaving on top (cherry, using LN 4.5 with HAF) and a 3 thou shaving on bottom (maple end grain, using LN 103). Can't remember the last time I sharpened either one of them. 293403

[David Weaver]

David,have you tried shaving with an A2 blade? Probably not,since they don"t make razors out of A2. And for a good reason. Am I wrong? I'm not a straight razor shaver myself. Maybe I'm wrong?

You could shave with anything the right hardness these days. All you'd have to do is sharpen with chrome oxide or submicron diamonds as the last step (submicron diamonds, I guess, if there's a lot of vanadium carbides).

Henckels friodur mad razors out of what I believe is a variant 440c, and there are specialty makes out of oddball stuff. I think dovo may use something similar to the CV tool steel that knife makers like case uses and harden it just a tick or two harder (i believe their hardness spec is about 58 or something), but their video shows them quenching in what looks like oil.

Whatever they use, like everyone else, I'd assume that it's the least expensive thing that they can get away with that also doesn't warp much in heat treat. I found it fine to use, but had a heavier grind of razor from them and don't know what they do in general (i.e., if they're capable of grinding as finely as they did 75 years ago in germany when you could name the cutlers in some cases and know they hardly ever made a bad razor).

Anyway, dovo still makes stainless versions, and on the other end of the spectrum are individuals like iwasaki who have made carbon steel western style razors spec to 67 or 68 hardness.

I think A2 would do fine, but it probably costs more than what the makers are using and their process is oil hardening.

One last aside, I had a razor that I think was very similar to the tungsten HSS. It boasted about being the best high tungsten steel on the box, and it was japanese (probably shortly after WWII). Very nicely made, but shaved terribly off of natural stones. I worked it up on synthetics with chromium oxide powder as the last step and it shaved great.

Back in the day when people sharpened razors with coticules and slates, though, they wouldn't have been very happy with you if you used A2.

My personal favorite is still carbon steel, but I had a three friodur razors and they were all OK. One of them had a tiny dot of corrosion on it, which was surprising. The japanese razor was the hardest of the bunch to sharpen, though. No clue why because little is specified in the world of razors, and people don't ask many technical questions. There is more trial and error, and razor uses are very weird about cosmetics - cosmetically perfect brings good money. Light removed rust in a non critical area can halve the value of a razor.

[george wilson]

David B. Years ago I was asked by the bookbinder's shop in Wmsbg. to teach them how to sharpen their tools. They were using those little pot metal hobby planes that took old fashioned double edged razor blades for skiving their leather. I tried one of those as a kid,but the blade stuck out too much to do a decent job on balsa wood. It just grabbed and took way too coarse a cut.

They still didn't know what to use,so I made them some at least more decent looking brass planes that still used the razor blades to skive their leather. Some time,and a different supervisor later,we had another round of how to sharpen tools. I did some research,and it seemed like the 18th. C. book binders(or,I should say LEATHER SKIVERS)(probably supplied the book binders with tissue thin leathers),laid the skin over an inclined,rounded wooden "horse",and skived it with draw knife like tools that were razor sharp. I made up a quick setup,and we tried skiving leather very thin. It took considerable skill though(and surely YEARS of practice(),so they never adopted the method. You might know more about skiving leather than I do. It wasn't my trade,or my main concern!!

Eventually,they gave up on the crappy hobby like use of razor blade planes. Instead,I taught a new bunch of them to sharpen razor sharp again. They settled upon using very sharp spokeshaves to skive. I think they still do. They also use English made skiving knives made of 1/16" thick spring steel,with a 45 degree angled blade. A very simple,taper chopped off skiving blade. They thin out around the edges with them.

Chrome tanned leather,as you know,is the worst stuff in the World to try to skive (They used vegetable tanned). But,I could only find chrome tanned ray skin to use. It needed to be as thin as toilet paper. It was murder to plane the FLUFF off. As said,only my LN block plane with the early W1 blade could plane it. I did not have my PM VII blade for my NX60 LV plane yet. Must try that.

[glenn bradley]

I have had problems with Lee Valley blade edges crumbling but never Lie Nielsen. The A2 blades are my favorite.

Different experience here :confused:. Seems how we sharpen, what we do with the cutters and how we do it must influence our experiences.

[lowell holmes]

That's why I made my post. If my edge needs sharpening during a session, I just stop and hone it, strop it and go back to work. That's how I learned when I was going to classes at Homestead Heritage.

After I learned to freehand sharpen, it was easy, actually the time sharpening, 2 or 3 minutes, is a restful break. I don't have much edge problem.

I have LV A2 irons in my bench planes. I think the steel is good. I do use the ruler trick.

[Winton Applegate]

sharpness is not everything

Splutter gag hack cough

:eek: WHAT !

:confused: I thought . . . think . . . it IS . . .
(I think) No it IS

:cool: Sharpness IS everything

There I said it.

I must say I am always surprised when I read threads like this. What I mean is we just had this discussion. :rolleyes: Lines on end grain / edge breaking down / what to do.
I am kind of shocked as well after I / we talked about sharpening . . . sharp vs SHARP cutting curls off a single hair.

Maybe I didn’t make it clear those were all A2 blades. LN and Varitas.
I kind of thought my A2 blades were getting dull fast but then I was planing eight foot lengths of some of the hardest wood in the world bubinga and purple heart.

It seemed the same LN or Varitas

I am pretty darn sure no other blade would have held up long enough to make a noticeable difference. My very high quality Japanese plane blade seemed about the same sharpness wise and durability wise , after I back bevelled it just a hint to stop the tear out. I didn’t continue using it that way. Not the kind of wood it is for; just wanted to see how it would do. Now I know.

Probably a good idea to revisit the "Scratches on end grain" thread and "What is causing this chatter" thread.
Speaking of end grain . . . I got your end grain right here (last two photos) . . . notice the LN using an A2 cleaning up the edges. Notice the bare wood mirror like surface ? Sharp can make a difference.

[Patrick Carpenter]

That would be ideal, but in a production environment (i.e. at work) I can't really do that. I'm on the job site most of the time, but even in the shop, a lot of employers have a real problem seeing someone stop and take out a sharpening stone. A strop... whew. My current boss would settle for ridicule, but some would go for the full blow up. It's one of the unwritten rules. Show up at least 10 minutes early everyday. Sharpen your tools on your own time.
I guess I should have mentioned that I have other blades in Blue or White steel that do just fine, and my old Stanley (which was inferior in most other ways) did a little better on longevity too.

[Patrick Carpenter]

Splutter gag hack cough

:eek: WHAT !

:confused: I thought . . . think . . . it IS . . .
(I think) No it IS

:cool: Sharpness IS everything

There I said it.

I must say I am always surprised when I read threads like this. What I mean is we just had this discussion. :rolleyes: Lines on end grain / edge breaking down / what to do.
I am kind of shocked as well after I / we talked about sharpening . . . sharp vs SHARP cutting curls off a single hair.

Maybe I didn’t make it clear those were all A2 blades. LN and Varitas.
I kind of thought my A2 blades were getting dull fast but then I was planing eight foot lengths of some of the hardest wood in the world bubinga and purple heart.

It seemed the same LN or Varitas

I am pretty darn sure no other blade would have held up long enough to make a noticeable difference. My very high quality Japanese plane blade seemed about the same sharpness wise and durability wise , after I back bevelled it just a hint to stop the tear out. I didn’t continue using it that way. Not the kind of wood it is for; just wanted to see how it would do. Now I know.

Probably a good idea to revisit the "Scratches on end grain" thread and "What is causing this chatter" thread.
Speaking of end grain . . . I got your end grain right here (last two photos) . . . notice the LN using an A2 cleaning up the edges. Notice the bare wood mirror like surface ? Sharp can make a difference.




I couldn't agree more. Sharpness is everything. Once you get something that will make something look like your last photo, it's hard to settle. That is awesome. by the way. What is your sharpening setup?

[Patrick Carpenter]

Raise the angle a few degrees. If you still have issues grind 1/16" of the tip of the blade.

Also, when the edge fails quickly like its been doing check to see if its rolling or chipping. If its just chipping a bit its probably just a matter of using a higher angle or grinding a bit off to get past the bit of steel at the tip that might be a little weak. If the edge is rolling (e.g. if there is a burr on the back of the blade after a few strokes) the blade may be too soft.

Even from companies like LN and LV sometimes the steel at the tip of the blade is bit decarbonized and need to behoned/ground past. And every once in a while something gets past the goalie. I don't have a lot LN tools, but in general I have found their A2 top quality.



Yep. It seems like a few people agree that raising the angle a bit should be the first resort. I'm not a real big fan of micro bevels, but I guess that could be an option too.
I'm glad you mentioned chipping vs. rolling at the edge. I have checked out the edge under magnification (60x) and it looks like it's definitely rolling. In fact if I let it get too bad I can feel kind of like a serrated burr. A lot of my other tools are hand-forged Japanese steel which I think is generally quite a bit harder than LN's A2. Maybe it's just something I'll need to get used to.

[Patrick Carpenter]

As others have stated, bevel/micro bevel angles are important with the A2 iron. Using 3M microfinishing film to sharpen, I've been very happy with the performance of LN A2 irons: picture shows a 1 thou shaving on top (cherry, using LN 4.5 with HAF) and a 3 thou shaving on bottom (maple end grain, using LN 103). Can't remember the last time I sharpened either one of them. 293403



Nice. A few others have mentioned adjusting the angle a bit. Any suggestions for the 60 1/2 iron? I have been sticking with the 25° factory angle so far.

[Warren Mickley]

David B. Years ago I was asked by the bookbinder's shop in Wmsbg. to teach them how to sharpen their tools. They were using those little pot metal hobby planes that took old fashioned double edged razor blades for skiving their leather. I tried one of those as a kid,but the blade stuck out too much to do a decent job on balsa wood. It just grabbed and took way too coarse a cut.

They still didn't know what to use,so I made them some at least more decent looking brass planes that still used the razor blades to skive their leather. Some time,and a different supervisor later,we had another round of how to sharpen tools. I did some research,and it seemed like the 18th. C. book binders(or,I should say LEATHER SKIVERS)(probably supplied the book binders with tissue thin leathers),laid the skin over an inclined,rounded wooden "horse",and skived it with draw knife like tools that were razor sharp. I made up a quick setup,and we tried skiving leather very thin. It took considerable skill though(and surely YEARS of practice(),so they never adopted the method. You might know more about skiving leather than I do. It wasn't my trade,or my main concern!!

Last summer I was at a craft fair and met a bookbinder who had been trained at Williamsburg. When I told him I had given a sharpening lesson to a Williamsburg bookbinder in 1983, he handed me his skiving knife and asked if I could sharpen it. When I brought it back the next day, he tried it for about two seconds and said to his daughter "Give him a book." He gave me a handsome book he had bound, leather spine and fine marbled cover, just for that fine edge.

[Phil Gaudio]

I use a 30º primary bevel with a few degree micro bevel: seems to work.

[john zulu]

30º is required on A2 to prevent the edge crumbling especially on shooting the board.

[Derek Cohen]

30º is required on A2 to prevent the edge crumbling especially on shooting the board.

Before switching to a PMV-11 blade in the LV LA Jack, I used an A2 blade with a 25 degree edge to shoot for many years - all without the slightest suggestion of the edge crumbling.

I do have a couple of comparisons of steel types in plane blade, however these were used in shooting planes on end grain, not bench planes on face grain. In other words, the emphasis was on a combination of impact- and abrasion resistance, not abrasion resistance alone.

In short (with the OP's block plane in mind), BU planes with a 25 degree bevel should outlast higher cutting angles in a BD plane. Lee Valley A2 steel performed extremely well in this configuration, supporting my comments over the years.

The two reviews:

http://www.inthewoodshop.com/ToolReviews/LVShootingPlane.html

http://www.inthewoodshop.com/ToolReviews/MoreAboutShootingPlanesandTheirBlades.html

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Adam Cruea]

Never had a problem with LN's A2 at 30 degrees or greater. The edge might roll over after a while, but I've never really seen cracking and chipping.

[Chris Griggs]

I'm glad you mentioned chipping vs. rolling at the edge. I have checked out the edge under magnification (60x) and it looks like it's definitely rolling.

Just to clarify, when I say roll I mean after just a few strokes. I had a very early made (as in when they first started making them) LV No. 6 that I got off ebay that had a blade that was too soft (which they replaced even though I bough tit used). In my LIMITED experience when its failing and rolling becasue of softness (vs. from regular dulling) it's pretty apparent. Just a few strokes may roll big old burr on the back. Feeling some amount of rolling after extended use doesn't necessarily indicate a problem.

Try this as a test. Hone the blade at 30 degrees, making certain that it is really sharp and that there are no nicks or anything left from the previous dulling/failure. Put it in the plane and take maybe 5 strokes on some end grain....if after just a few strokes there is a noticeable burr on the back that's an indication that it may be too soft.

If you think it might not be hardened properly you can always send it to LN and have them test it.

(please take all advice from me regarding steel and metallurgy with a tiny grain of salt. I am speaking only from what I found to be the traits of the blade I've had that was too soft.)

[george wilson]

Warren,who was the book binder you met? I also gave some more sharpening lessons in that shop about 1983. That's where I met my wife,who I've been with 30 years now. I taught her to sharpen her spokeshave blade. The only guys I can think of who were there at the time are Bruce Plumley,the master,Bob Lyon,and possibly another guy who's name just escapes me right now,though I know it perfectly well. The benefits of codeine!!


Winton: a right smart stack of irons,polished slicker than an eyeball! Are those for a BU plane? Your stone seems a teeny bit concave. Only would matter if fitting to a chip breaker.

[Jim Koepke]

Only one of my high usage planes, an LN #62, has an A1/A2 blade. (not sure which)

It is mostly used for shooting end grain. It has had often developed nicks or chips. It is honed at 25º. The chipping seems to have diminished as it has been honed over time. Mostly it is just touched up as needed. Not any heavy grinding to remove a lot of metal.

Maybe in another year or two my honing will take it down to 'the good metal.'

jtk

[Chris Griggs]

It is mostly used for shooting end grain. It has had often developed nicks or chips. It is honed at 25º. The chipping seems to have diminished as it has been honed over time. Mostly it is just touched up as needed. Not any heavy grinding to remove a lot of metal.


My experience using using A2 honed at 25 degrees in my LV LA Jack mirrors this. When it was new it didn't hold well at 25 degrees so I reground it to 30 or so degrees. But after a couple years of owning it, I decided to see of I could duplicate Derek's experience of having A2 hold at 25. I reground to 25 and haven't raised it since. It holds fine at that angle now and I suspect that the regrinding of the angles (along with a number of honing and grindings over a couple years) got me past some of the less nice steel.

[Warren Mickley]

Warren,who was the book binder you met? I also gave some more sharpening lessons in that shop about 1983. That's where I met my wife,who I've been with 30 years now. I taught her to sharpen her spokeshave blade. The only guys I can think of who were there at the time are Bruce Plumley,the master,Bob Lyon,and possibly another guy who's name just escapes me right now,though I know it perfectly well. The benefits of codeine!!


You are bringing back memories, George. I worked with a young man on sharpening a spokeshave; I gathered that he had not been there very long. I think he felt that the shop was a little lacking in expertise at that time, but I was nevertheless quite impressed with the the shop and the spirit of the workers. I remember another young man from that year, and yes, I remember an interesting young woman. I made it to the instrument makers shop also.

In January I talked to journeyman Dale at the shop. I think he has been there since before 1983. I still enjoy going to the bookbinder shop.

[george wilson]

Dale is still there. You might have met my soon to be wife,Dawn. A slender 5' 2" young woman with very short hair at the time,wearing glasses. The other young woman was a bit chubby. She's gone.

I spent some time training Dawn,my future wife,to sharpen her spokeshave there in the shop. It was a great way to get acquainted!!

[Patrick Carpenter]

I don't know much about A2 v O1, but sometimes irons need to be sharpened several times to grind away the over brittle edges on new steel. The thin leading edge may cause problems on a new blade. How often have yoy sharpened it since you acquired it?



Only a handful of times. Probably not enough to get down to the "good steel" if that is indeed the problem. It doesn't seem to be chipping, like it's overly brittle though. It's more like deformation/rolling. Still, probably wouldn't hurt to take it back a bit and see if it helps any. Thanks for the info.

[Glenn Samuels]

George, thank you for the explanation is this information is new to me.
Glenn

[Winton Applegate]

What is your sharpening setup?
I go total wimp.
A jig
Too many stones (Shaptons)
A natural nagura stone (I can't tell you where to get one maybe David can)
No strop.

I can sharpen by hand. I sharpen my pocket knives, kitchen knives, all kinds of drill bits, and cutters at work on the fly by hand with diamond paddles (when the boss isn't looking INCLUDING THE BOSS's dull assed cobalt bits).

The black tool role with the diamond paddles, and little file I use at work. At home I use the Drill Doctor for drill bits. Why ? Because I am not stupid; that's why.
We don't have one at work.
BUT
When it comes to PLANE BLADES I have gone back to using a jig.
THE EDGE CUTS BETTER, LONGER with no chatter or tear out when I pick the right edge geometry for the wood and typed of cut.
Note the secondary / micro bevel angle written on the blade in magic marker in my previous post. No guessing. For the wood I work it makes a huge difference to hit everything right every time.

[Winton Applegate]

25° factory angle so far.

For the crazy hard stuff that "I learned on" note I am using a 46° micro bevel. For bevel up.
Ha, ha,
I don't recommend that for most wood, i.e., for walnut down to 30° but when you hit the highly figured stuff basically huge knots, basically that is end grain, right . . . you got to go steeper and or get fancy with other techniques.

What I recommend is learn the requirements of the wood that is in front of you. It can be different for "the same wood" from batch to batch. Different mineral content . . . even slightly different species from batch to batch etc.

Practice on the wood you have in front of you BEFORE you start the project. Even then you may find your self changing angles some during the project.

My super hard japanese temple builders chisel that I used when building the purple heart work bench required me to get up around 35° when I used it to pare the 3 inch dovetails and other joints because the edge was folding up just like your LN A2.